With the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th President, the United States will complete the transfer of power to a new president.  As with every presidential transition, the potential for significant change under the new administration is a cause for attention by opinion leaders such as law students and practicing lawyers.  In the Presidential Transition Lecture Series, Professor Laura Little has invited leaders from three different arenas – Inquirer Editor and Executive Vice President Bill Marimow, Committee of Seventy CEO David Thornburgh, and EEOC Commissioner Chai Feldblum  – to share their perspectives on the 2017 presidential transition with the Temple Law community.  Temple Law faculty, staff, and students are invited to attend each of the three lectures, at which lunch will be served.

Perspective from the Media – Bill Marimow, January  17th

Professor Laura Little’s interview with Inquirer Editor and Executive Vice President Bill Marimow will explore whether President-elect Trump has changed the “rules of engagement” between the President and the media. How has the relationship between the press and the President evolved under prior administrations? Mr. Marimow will also cover national and local issues related to fake news, libel law, the First Amendment, and the relationship between lawyers and the press.

Answering the Call for Political Renewal – David Thornburgh, January 23rd

The overarching message of the 2016 political season—embodied in the Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump campaigns—is that many voters have lost faith in the ability of our political process to govern this country.  In this lecture, David Thornburgh, President and CEO of the Committee of Seventy, offers his perspective on how best to reignite civic pride. What reforms to the process should be on the agenda—locally and nationally—to restore that faith and the sense that democracy can work again?  What can people—especially law students and lawyers early in their careers—do to help bring about those changes?

The EEOC in a Time of Transition – Chai Feldblum, February 13th

During her tenure as Commissioner of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Chai Feldblum has spearheaded significant changes in the interpretation of federal laws regarding discrimination, particularly on issues relating to disability, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Professor Laura Little’s interview with Commissioner Feldblum will explore possible changes in EEOC policy under the Trump administration and will include general observations about the effect of presidential transition on the operation of federal regulatory agencies.

Professor Laura Little

Professor Laura E. Little serves as the Charles Klein Professor of Law and Government and Senior Advisor to the Dean. She specializes in federal courts, conflict of laws, and constitutional law. She teaches, lectures, and consults internationally on these subjects and is routinely engaged for training judges as well as for speeches at academic and judicial conferences. Before entering academia, Professor Little practiced law in Philadelphia, litigating commercial cases and representing the print media in First Amendment cases. Prior to her law practice, Professor Little served as a law clerk to Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, Supreme Court of the United States (October Term 1986) and Judge James Hunter III of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (1985-1986).

The Presidential Transition Lecture Series is funded by the Myers Lecture Fund.